2/26/2010: PLEASE PRAY - Adoption Update!

Please join us in prayer!

Our adoption profile is being shipped overnight to deliver on Monday; 3/1/2010 to a young birthmother in MS. She will review our profile along with many other "waiting families" profiles next week in order to decide which family she wants to parent her newborn baby boy.

What we know:

* Birthmother delivered her healthy, bi-racial baby boy on February 5, 2010

* Wanting to choose an adoption plan, she released her baby to "interim care"/foster care until she could select the adoptive family.

* The agency is trying to contact the birthfather to determine whether he will relinquish his parenting rights (birthmother has voluntarily relinquished her rights to parent).

Please pray:

1. For the birthmother. We are thrilled that she chose LIFE! Though we can not imagine that emotional, physical, etc that she must go through in choosing an adoption plan, we are already praying for her...yes, FOR HER. As she has to review the many profiles in order to make such a life decision for her baby, she is sure to face many emotions. Please pray for her and that our Lord would direct her to choose the family that He has in mind.

2. For the baby boy. He is currently in interim care, and he will soon be placed into an adoptive family's care. So, within these past few weeks, this little boy will have already faced TWO MAJOR LOSSES in his young life.

- His mother.

- His interim care mother & family

From our training, we understand that even at his young age, he could struggle with attachment issues due to these major transitions occurring. Please pray for him.

3. For the birthfather. Though we are not sure whether he is known by anyone other than the birthmother, please do pray that if he comes forward that he will see God's grace and love through the lives of those adoption personnel working to serve the birthmother and this little baby boy.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

We will plan to update our blog just as soon as we receive an update from our agency.

11/12/09 - APPROVED!

After months of preparations, evaluations, classes, etc, Joni & I are THRILLED to report...

WE ARE APPROVED!

The adoption agency notified us today that we have been approved to adopt. Thank you for your continued prayers as we head into the official WAITING-TO-BE-CHOSEN period.

-Rod & Joni

10/27/2009 - FINAL MEETING WITH THE AGENCY

Joni & I are very excited to report that we just completed our final pre-approval meeting with our adoption agency this evening!

After months of preparations, classes, meetings, etc, we met with our adoption worker tonight to review our service plan, which is the final piece of this amazing puzzle. From here, the social worker completes the writing of the report and then submits it to the agency director for a thorough review and approval. We expect to be approved by December 2009!

Once approved, the agency will be able to start showing our profile to interested birthmothers, who will review and make the adoption plan by choosing the adoptive parents. This process has been an amazing journey for both Joni and me.

Understanding we could have months of "waiting" ahead of us, we are still so excited to know we are so close to finally being approved. Very exciting times!

Thank you all for your continued prayer support!

More details to come....once we have them.

:) -Rodney

10/20/09: Adoption Home Inspection

10/20/09, the adoption social worker is scheduled to inspect our home. This is one of the final steps in the process before the agency writes our home study report. Right now, we are on track to be approved by December 2009.

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers!

10/19/09: We complete the adoption profile packet!

Tonight, Joni and I completed the adoption profile packet that birthmothers will review when they select their children's adoptive parents.

Social Worker Interviews COMPLETED.

This week, Joni and I completed the necessary interviews in the adoption process. The past few weeks have include a couple interview followed by each of us having solo interviews with the social worker. Now, we work on our adoption profile that the birth mothers/parents will review in their selecting potential adoptive parents.

We will deliver this profile (4 copies) to our social worker when she comes to our home on 10/20/09 for the "home inspection".

Thanks so much for your continued prayers!

Social Worker Interviews begin on Monday, 9/21/09

ADOPTION UPDATE: Joni & I received confirmation that our month of weekly social worker interviews begins on Monday (9/21/09).

9/3/2009 - WE SUBMIT OUR PAPERWORK!

9/3/09 - After over two months filled with doctors appointments, psych reviews, 8-weeks of adoption classes, and time spent to complete the necessary forms, we FINALLY delivered the home study packet to the agency this evening.

WHAT A GREAT FEELING!

Though we still have a few more months of process ahead of us, our completing the home study portion lifts a huge weight off of our to-do list. Next step, we schedule the various social worker interviews/sessions and home inspection visit.

8/31/09 - WE JUST COMPLETED THE ADOPTION PAPERWORK!

After MONTHS of various doctors, governmental, & adoption agency meetings, Joni & I just completed our final document in our home-study adoption packet!  We are planning to deliver the packet to our adoption agency on Thursday (9/3/09) along with an installment to the hefty fee that will be due at placement.  

We are so excited as we CONTINUE this incredible journey together!

From here, we will proceed with numerous meetings/interviews with our assigned social worker(s) in addition to a home inspection/interview and development of our adoption profile over the next 4-6 weeks.  

At this rate, Lord willing, we expect to be APPROVED by the agency by December 2009.  

Then, we wait. 

Wait for a birth mother to review our profile and select us. 

Thank you so much for your continued prayer support for us.  We are so eager to meet the child/children, whom our Lord has chosen for us to parent.  Exciting times in the Bowen household!

More details to come......as we have them. :)

-Rod & Joni

DVD Movie on Foster Care & Adoption

Formal Adoption Application Submitted!

Earlier tonight, Joni & I completed and submitted our formal adoption application to Bethany Christian Services along with the initial installment of fees.

Next steps include:

6/12/09 Full Day of Orientation

6/16/09 Adoption Group meeting

6/23/09 Family Training Session

6/30/09 Family Training Session

7/7/09 Family Training Session

7/14/09 Family Training Session

7/21/09 Adoption Group meeting

7/28/09 Family Training Session

8/4/09 Family Training Session

8/18/09 Adoption Group meeting

Rainy Day Rummage Sale

Hosting our 1st rummage sale, our efforts were surrounded by thunderstorms and much rain most of the day. In all, we were able to raise $75.00 for our adoption account.

Adoption Update: Preliminary Application APPROVED!

On Wednesday (May 13, 2009), our preliminary adoption application was successfully processed, and we were welcomed into the Bethany Christian Services adoption process. Please continue to pray for us as we continue this wonderful journey to welcome a child/children into our hearts and home.

Next steps include:
- completing formal application & pay additional fee
- initiating conversations with our assigned social worker
- attending various adoption group meetings
- continuing to generate and save additional funds to be deposited into our adoption account (i.e. yard sale, selling various items on Craigslist, etc)

Preliminary Adoption Application

After months of prayer, we take the first step in the adoption process: Completing the preliminary adoption application on 5/3/09 & mailing it on 5/4/09.